Ethnic Literature in American Literary Canon

Introduction to American Literature and Literary Canons

America has long celebrated superior writers such as Hemingway and Fitzgerald for their various works, including The Great Gatsby and The Old Man and the Sea. American literature has become known for its fondness of short stories and its attempt to embody the values and morals of American culture. The foundation of American values includes the rights to liberty, justice, freedom, equality, love, and family. American literature is usually centered on one or more of these ideals, incorporating the story of an American character and their encounters with the land and people, exemplifying the human need to control and understand their environment.

Walt Whitman exemplifies this tradition, emerging as both an exemplar of dominant literary theory and a precursor of contemporary value schemas. Whitman was known for his fresh perspectives on the past and his domination of literary theories. Literary canons are the classifications of books and their influence upon the culture and society of a specific region or country. They outline the influential literature of a culture, society, country, or secular community. Society looks to literary canons to understand cultural influence and to research the issues that are most important to the people of a country. As Hunter (1997) explains, "A canon need not include all writing that gets over a basic definitional threshold, just that which is considered crucial to preserve, venerate and invest with authority (to invoke the old religious term from which our secular sense of valuing text and of canonicity seems to derive)."

How do ethnic writers navigate distinctive tasks within the American literary understanding? American literature is assumed to embody the ideals of the country. As ethnic writers enter the American literary experience, they must be aware of their audience and uphold American values and beliefs in a positive light. Ethnic writers may face difficulty relating to American ideals and cultural references, since those references differ from the cultural ideals of their own countries of origin.

The Challenge of Ethnic Writers in American Literature

Ethnic writers are challenged to explore different cultures and their traditions to understand the American mindset and what it means to be an American citizen. As self-determination theory suggests, perceptions of social belongingness and autonomy have been described as fundamental needs that support life happiness and success. This psychological framework underscores why ethnic writers must actively negotiate their sense of belonging within American literary spaces while maintaining their own cultural identities.

In what way do ethnic writers describe literature, and how does that differ from the canon of modern American literature? Ethnic writers define literature as a work that encompasses ideals of humanity and life. Literature identifies and describes in detail the lives and objectives of human beings and the world as they experience it. Ethnic writers seek stories that tell of cultural traditions and the ideals of ancient societies, such as loyalty and triumph over oppression.

How Ethnic Writers Define Literature

Ethnic literature gives intimate details of the lives of a specific culture, telling readers about the life their characters live and the countries from which they come. According to Phinney (1996), there are three identifying traits of ethnicity. The people of a culture will share common (a) attitudes, behaviors, and values; (b) a subjective sense of membership and belonging to an ethnic group, which constitutes ethnic identity; and (c) experiences that are a direct result of their minority status, including feelings of powerlessness and acts of discrimination resulting from prejudice.

What historical, socio-political, and cultural themes stand concealed through ethnic authors, and how does this fluctuate from the canon of modern American literature? Ethnic writers devote their time and artistry to dispelling stereotypes and telling the stories of their people. They usually recount historical stories from the point of view of their own ethnicity.

Historical and Sociocultural Themes in Ethnic Literature

By contrast, the canon of modern American literature typically incorporates stories of struggle and triumph in obtaining the American dream, representing Americans as a unified people with common goals and aspirations. Ethnic writers might cover topics of oppression, genocide, and fighting against those who would stereotype people for belonging to a different race or religion. A favorite point of interest for ethnic writers is situations that cause a person to question their moral stance, such as the question of interracial love or friendship. The traditional American canon promotes traditional love and marriage with notions of self-reliance and self-prosperity. America is known for its unique perspective on the innate human right to the pursuit of liberty, freedom, and general happiness and wellbeing—few countries provide their citizens the right to happiness as part of their constitution or citizen charter.

How are the American fictional themes of freedom, chance, and equal opportunity spoken in ethnic literature? Ethnic literature usually focuses on a specific ethnicity's triumphs over adversity whilst obtaining the liberties, opportunities, and equalities of the American lifestyle. Ethnic literature typically focuses on the story of someone or a group of people who fight to obtain personal or social freedoms, such as equal opportunities and the free pursuit of liberty and justice.

Conclusion

Ethnic literature holds significant importance within American letters. The Harlem Renaissance was a vital part of ethnic literature, and Langston Hughes stands as a great reflection of the ethnic literary tradition. Through their distinctive voices and perspectives, ethnic writers continue to expand and challenge the boundaries of the American literary canon.